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But as I turned, I almost bumped into Billy, who was suddenly right beside me.
“Cruz,” Billy said. “Are you really doing this? You don’t have to.”
“Yes, I do. I don’t go back on my word.”
Billy laid a hand on his arm. “Cruz…look. David said you don’t have to pay him anything. He’s mostly teasing you.”
Cruz pulled gently away from him. “It’s-it’s all right. You know?” I gazed directly into Billy’s eyes.
“Oh. Yeah, I think I do,” Billy replied softly, understanding my meaning at last. “Okay, but be careful. He’s one of David’s closest friends, and he trusts him, or else he wouldn’t let you go home with him.” He reached up and straightened my shirt collar. “But be careful not to get in too deep, okay? Michael Bradley has never had a long-term sub. Do you understand what that means? He likes to play, and he’s sexy as hell, but don’t get too involved with him. He has a reputation for only playing with a sub once or twice and then moving on. He’s afraid of commitment, I guess. I don’t want to see you get hurt. Remember he’s a sadist so be careful what you agree to do with him.”
“Don’t worry,” I said, trying to move around him.
“And be sure he gives you a safe word. Use it if you need to. There’s no shame in that. He’ll respect your safe word.”
“A safe word? What is that?” Cruz asked.
“A safe word is a word you say and everything stops. Mine is lemon. Pick out a word that you’d never normally say in conversation, and then use it if things get to be too intense. If you just say stop, your Dom might not do it until he’s good and ready. You have to use the safe word.
I nodded and headed for the door.
David was standing there beside Michael, and they seemed to be deep in conversation. I stopped a few feet away.
“I’m ready,” I said, and damn, why did my voice sound so breathless?
Michael gave me a beautiful smile. “I see that you are.” He turned to David and shook his hand, wishing him a goodnight and held out a hand to me. “Let’s go, Cruz, if you’re ready.”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Michael stepped forward and took my hand, gripping it tightly. I allowed him to escort me out of the beach house and into the warm, moonlit night. A man and his dog were walking past on the street, just as we came out, and the man, who had gray hair and a pinched face, looked pointedly at our clasped hands as he walked by us. I glanced over at Michael, who gave me an encouraging smile and squeezed my hand. He pulled me over to a big, black SUV and opened the door for me. He went around to get it, and without waiting to ask me, he crowded me back against my seat and kissed me hard, taking full possession of my mouth. He took his time, thoroughly claiming me as I groaned and clung to his shoulders.
“I’ve wanted to do that all night,” he said against my mouth.
By the time he moved back to his own seat, I was achingly erect and could barely get my breath. Michael leaned over me and fastened my seatbelt. Bending close, he spoke softly enough that I had to strain to hear him. His hot, sweet breath seared my cheek. “Billy was right, you know. You don’t have to do this. I can just drive you home if you like.”
Cruz nodded. “I know I don’t have to. But I want to.”
Michael gave me a searching glance and a smile before he nodded, pulled away from the curb and angled out into traffic. Neither of us spoke on the way to his home, with him navigating the busy streets, and me feeling a little stunned and like everything around me was a bit surreal. I was actually going home with this man—this Dom I barely knew. I’d never done anything like this before and I was a little scared, though I was determined not to show it.
We pulled up in front of an expensive apartment building in midtown and into the adjoining garage. Michael wheeled confidently up and around inside the parking deck until he reached the top level and pulled into a spot marked by a number on the back wall. As we got out of the car and walked toward the entrance, he put a hand at the small of my back. Just before he pulled open the door, Michael stopped and looked down at me. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
“I-I think so.”
He tilted his head and smiled down at me. “Be sure.”
“I am.”
“Do you know about using a safe word?”
“Yes, Billy told me. Mine will be algebra, like the subject.”
He smiled. “Any reason why? I assume you must not care for mathematics.”
“You assume correctly.”
“Okay. So, if you say that word, I’ll stop whatever we’re doing and take you home. No questions asked, okay?”
“O-okay.”
